Natalie (Sem 2, 2023)

My Exchange at The University of Groningen

Going on an exchange was a promise I made for myself when I decided to stay home for University. So it has always been something I’ve researched in my spare time. So when deciding to go on exchange I only had to choose where to go. One thing for certain was I wanted to be in Europe, I was drawn to The Netherlands as I’m half Dutch and have family there. Living in the Netherlands was a way for me to connect with my cultural heritage and be there for cousins’ birthdays and all I’ve missed these years living in New Zealand. 

Moving to the Netherlands was somewhat staggered so I wasn’t thrown in the deep end. I stayed with my Grandma for a few weeks, travelled and then moved to Groningen. I was already very familiar with the culture I was moving to and could speak Dutch, this meant I didn’t face huge cultural shocks. However, I was nervous about this being my first time living without my parents and how I would manage this. However, I was very fortunate with my accommodation. I shared a floor which included a kitchen and bathroom with 9 others that the owner’s company regularly cleaned. Located right by the city centre, so I could almost walk anywhere and had a supermarket 2 minutes away in case I forgot any food for dinner. The location and cleanliness of communal spaces provided by my accommodation were really good value for what I paid.

Settling into a new city where I only knew my housemates so far, was made easy with orientation events like ESN week. This involved club days, movie nights, parties and much more and was a great way to meet people in the first week. Many of whom I stayed in contact with during my exchange. This helped me settle into the city, and get to know what the University and the city offered. Another special aspect that helped me settle into life at the University of Groningen was a course all and only exchange students in the faculty of spatial sciences were required to take. Knowing this the lecturer and organiser of the course hosted an introduction day giving us a tour of the University campus and briefing us on what to expect academically from the University. This was a great way to reduce stress about being in a new unknown environment. 

This course was beneficial academically and socially having met my closest friends from my exchange in this course. It also offers a holistic look at the Netherlands and its planning systems and provides many-day excursions. Aside from this course, the University offered a very broad and enthusiastic learning environment often using examples from the Netherlands, around Europe and sometimes the world. A majority of the assessments were exams which for me was a change from UoA where I went from having 2 exams per semester to 5 while on a single semester exchange. 

Groningen is most known as a student city in the Netherlands so it was very lively in terms of nightlife, activities, cafes and study spots. Biking made the whole city accessible with most things less than 15 minutes from the city centre. This was the only big adjustment with busy cycling lanes and being stuck in traffic jams during my first week of Uni was a shock, but after a few weeks, you become accustomed to cycling everywhere. The Netherlands has a cheaper cost of living compared to Auckland, and Groningen located in the north tends to be cheaper than the rest of the country. The rent I paid was similar to Auckland’s prices.

The largest challenge would be the time difference to New Zealand. In the winter there is a twelve-hour difference which at stages makes it difficult to keep in contact with friends and family regularly. There were times when the only time my sister wasn’t working or sleeping would be when I was asleep. However, this is a small negative that does not outweigh all the positives from these experiences. Meeting people from all over the world and making some amazing friends have been the highlight of the exchange and have left me with many memories I will cherish forever. I will forever recommend an exchange semester to everyone as it’s an opportunity to temporarily live overseas you don’t know if you can get again.

Q&A

What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?

Being in a different learning environment has allowed me to learn what works best for me. Also being in a University in the Netherlands with high levels of international students and staff broaden my knowledge in my studies outside of New Zealand significantly and might make me more innovative in my studies in the future.

Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?

One special thing you can do in Groningen and also the rest of the Netherlands is hire a boat with friends and take it through the canals of the city. 

What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?

Get involved in all the different clubs the university offers. At the University of Groningen clubs and associations are a huge part of their social calendars, many often having weekly dinners alongside other activities. 

Learn some basic Dutch to help read signs, and labels and understand locals, but most shopkeepers have high levels of English so it is easy to get by with only knowing English.

Take advantage of the great train network to see and go to events in the rest of the Netherlands, no major city is more than 3 hours away by train. Group tickets can give you discounts when travelling with friends. 

How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?

I expected to spend around 1000 euros per month, but I ended up spending slightly more than this. This was my first time living alone so the first month I was trying to live cheaply and see how much everything would cost, then based the rest of my budget from there. In general, the cost of living was cheaper than in New Zealand and I found the rent was similar.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

Specifically for my studies, the Netherlands is a country always ranked high for urban planning, so it was great to learn about how their planning practices have come to be, and why they have been successful. Also being able to experience living in a place with such structured planning also opens my eyes to what I think is good practice, why things work in such locations and more. Overall living in a different country around completely new people also makes you grow and allows you to find out who you are without your past, family and friends defining it for you.